Leg rest control linkage for reclining chairs



Sept. 18, 1962 F. F. scHLlEPHAcKr-z 3,054,639

LEG REST CONTROL LINKAGE RoR RECLINING CHAIRS Filed March 51, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

Sept. 18, 1962 F. F. scHLxEPHAcKE 3,054,639

` LEG REST CONTROL LINKAGE FOR RECLINING CHAIRS Filed March 3l, .1959 6Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. FQ/D rJoF A' scm /ff/A ck;

ymvv.

Sept. 18, 1962 F. F. scHLlEPHAcKE 3,054,639

LEO REST CONTROL LINKAOE FOR REOLINING CHAIRS Filed March 5l, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V ENT 0R.

-BYMlv-s@ Sept. 18, 1962 F. F. scHLlEPHAcKE 3,054,639

LEG REST OONTROIJ LINKAGE FOR REOLINING CHAIRS Filed March 3l, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 4 FIO?.

@mi-M+ Sept. 18, 1962 F. F. scHLu-:PHACKE 3,054,639

LEG REST CONTROL LINKAGE FOR REOLINING CHAIRS Filed March 51, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

FP/DTJOF F. JCI/ /E'PHA CKE Arrokutv Sept. 18, 1962 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE3,054,639

LEO REST CONTROL LINKAOE FOR REOLINING CHAIRS Filed March 3l, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. Il.

INVENTOR. Fe/D TJoF sow /fPf/ACKE dwz; ,L Q Arron/vsn United StatesPatent O 3,055,639 LEG REST CNTRL LNKAGE FOR RECLNNG CHAIRS Fridtiof F.Schliephacke, Beriin-Schmargendorf, Germany, assigner to Anton Lorenz,Ocean Ridge, Boynton Beach, Fia.

Filed Mar. 3i, 1959, Ser. No. 803,l95 9 Claims. (fCl. 297-39) Thepresent invention relates to improvements in reclining chairs and inparticular to a novel and improved leg-rest linkage for reclining chairshaving an underslung type of leg lrest which when retracted foldsinwardly to a position parallel to and close to the lower surface of theseat.

The leg rest linkage of the present invention is particularly adaptedfor use in a reclining chair of the type having a rigid seat andbackrests and in which the seat is raised well above the iloor surfaceby high legs. Recent styling developments in reclining chairs of thistype have imposed particular problems, particularly with regard toextension of the leg rest to an extended position in response torearward tilting movements of the body supporting structure. Foresthetic purposes, the chair frame is mounted on relatively long legs ofnarrow diameter so that an open space is provided between the bottom ofthe seat and the floor surface. In chairs having this modern styling, itis necessary to conceal the leg rest in its retracted position so thatthe chair will have the appearance of a normal well-styled chair in itsupright sitting position, and for this purpose the leg rest must bemounted so that in its retracted position it is closely spaced from thebottom surface of the seat and is maintained parallel to the seat. Theleg rest linkage must also be so arranged and constructed that in itsfolding or collapsed position it is in very compact form with the linksthereof closely spaced from each other and preferably substantiallyparallel to each other. In this condition, neither the leg rest nor theleg rest linkage is visible from outside the chair, when the bodysupporting structure is in the sitting position.

A serious problem presented by the structure of a chair of theabove-mentioned type is concerned with the movements of the leg restfrom its underslung, inverted, retracted position to an extendedposition forwardly of and substantially at the level of the seat, whenthe body supporting structure is moved from its upright sitting positionto a rearwardly-tilted position. In order to bring the leg rest from itsretracted position to its extended position, the leg rest must first beswung downwardly and forwardly from its substantially horizontalposition beneath the seat to a vertical position beneath the forward endof the seat, and then swung upwardly and outwardly so that it is spacedforwardly of the front end of the seat. The requirements of chair designare such that the height of the seat above the oor surface must bestandard to insure a comfortable sitting position. The spacing of theseat from the iioor therefore provides very limited space through whichthe leg rest can travel in its path of movement. The leg rest must ofcourse pass through this limited space in such a manner that it will notstrike or scrape the floor. A structural requirement of the chair,therefore, is that the lowest portion of the leg-rest must have aclearance of at least one inch above the floor during its path ofmovement from its horizontal underslung position in order to insure thatthe leg rest does not strike the fioor or even a rug upon which thechair may be resting. This problem is accentuated by the fact that theleg rest must be mounted on relatively long links in order to enable itto be positioned well forwardly of the seat in its extended position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a leg ICC restlinkage for a reclining chair of the type described, which linkage ismade up of links of relatively small size which are effective to movethe leg rest to an extended position well forwardly of the front of theseat, and at the same time is so constructed and arranged as to providesufficient clearance between the leg-rest and the oor when the leg restis initially moved downward from its underslung position beneath theseat.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a leg-rest linkageof the character described which incorporates lost motion means fordelaying the opening of said linkage until the front of the seat hasbeen raised a suiicient distance from the floor to permit the leg-restto pass freely therebeneath without striking or scraping the floorsurface.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a leg rest linkageof the character described which is particularly adapted for use inchairs having modern styling features including an open side frame, highlegs, etc.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following specification, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. l is a perspective view of a reclining chair incorporating the legrest linkage of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and shown insection, of an improved reclining chair embodying the leg-rest linkageof the present invention, the Chair being shown in its upright or itssitting position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. l, showing the chairin a partially tilted or intermediate position with the leg-rest linkage`slightly extended, but with the leg-rest in a position in which it hasnot yet reached the lowest point in its path of movement;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 3, but showing thechair tilted rearwardly to its fullest extent and the leg-rest in itselevated leg-supporting position;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational View, with parts broken away and `shown insection, of a reclining chair having a modified leg-rest linkage made inaccordance with the invention herein, the chair -being shown in itsupright or sitting position.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the forward position of the chairof FIG. 5, showing the chair in its rearwardlytilted position and theleg rest linkage in its full-extended leg-supporting position;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and shown insection, of a reclining chair having another modified type of leg-restlinkage made in accordance with the invention, the chair being shown inits upright sitting position;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the forward portion of the chair shown inFIG. 7, with the chair shown in its rearwardly-tilted position and theleg-rest linkage thereof in its extended leg-supporting posi-tion;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a reclining chair incorporatingstill another type of leg-rest linkage made in accordance with thepresent invention, the chair being shown in its upright sittingposition;

FIG. l0 is a partial side elevational view of the chair shown in FiG. 9,but showing the chair in its rearwardlytilted position with the leg-restin its fully-extended, legsupporting position;

FIG. ll is a side elevational view of a reclining chair incorporating afurther modified type of leg-rest linkage made in accordance `with thepresent invention; the chair being shown in an upright sitting position;and

FIG. l2 is a side elevational View similar to FIG. l1 but showing thevchair thereof in its rearwardly-tilted position with the leg-restlinkage extended and in a position for supporting the legs of theoccupant of the seat.

Referring now speciiically to the drawings, FIG. l illustrates the typeof chair in which the leg rest linkage of the present invention isparticularly adapted and intended to be incorporated. The chair has aiixed and immovable support frame or base which includes legs 12. A bodysupporting structure 14, comprising a seat 16 and a backrest 18 for-medrigidly with each other, is mounted for rearward tilting movement uponthe support frame 10.

FIG. 2 shows the inner constructional detail of the chair illustrated inFIG. l. It will be observed that the support frame 10 includes open sideframes 20 which have side rails 22 connected by cross bars or braces 24.The chair also includes a leg-rest 26 which is carried by a legrestactuating linkage designated generally by the reference numeral 28, thelatter being mounted on the support frame 10 and connected to the seat16 in a manner which will be presently described.

As can be readily seen in FIG. 2, the legs 12 are made in accordancewith modern styling and are relatively high and narrow so as to presenta large unencumbered space beneath the seat 16. In conformance with thismodern styling, it is required in a chair of this type that the legrestbe retracted to an underslung position, as indicated in FIG. 2, in whichit is normally spaced a short distance beneath the lower surface of theseat and is parallel thereto, so as to be substantially hidden from viewby the side rails 22. For this purpose it will also be observed that theleg-rest linkage 2S in this retracted position of the leg-rest iscollapsed to a very compact condition in which the links of said linkageare closely folded adjacent the seat l16 and the side rails 22 are alsohidden from view. The leg-rest 26 in its retracted position is invertedas shown in FIG. 2, and in order to be brought to its extended positionillustrated in FIG. 4 it is necessary to move the leg rest downwardlyand outwardly through a designated path of movement, during whichmovement the legrest is brought to a Vertical position and approachesthesurface of the floor. As was previously indicated, this invention isconcerned with the problem of providing sutilcient clearance of the legrest in order to prevent the latter from striking or scraping along theiloor surface when the leg rest is moved through said path of movement.

The body supporting unit 14 is mounted :for rearward tilting movementupon support frame 10 by a link 3i) which is `connected at its upper endby pivot 3.2 to said unit 14 at rthe juncture between the seat 16 andback-rest 18. The other end of the link 30 is connected by pivot 34 to abracket 36 which is formed as a xed part of the support frame 10. Whenthe occupant of the chair in the sitting position leans rearwardly uponthe backrest 18, the body supporting unit 14 will tilt rearwardly aboutthe pivot 32, and at the same time the link 30 will swing rearwardlyabout the pivot 34 to carry the body supporting unit in a rearward-direction relative to the support frame 1t) until the fully tiltedposition of said body supporting unit (shown in FIG. 4) is reached. Inthis fully tilted position of FIG. 4, the rear surface of the back-rest18 engages the rearmost cross bar 24, the latter serving as stop meansto limit further rearward tilting movement of said body supporting unit.

Referring now specitically to the leg-rest linkage 28 which incorporatesthe invention herein, the leg-rest 26 is supported and guided by a firstpair of links 38, 4t) `and a second pair of links 42, 44. The rst pairof links 38 and 40 are interconnected in end-to-end relationship by apivot 46, While the second pair of links 42 and 44 are likewiseconnected end-to-end by a pivot 48. The free end of the link 38 isconnected to the structure of the leg-rest 26 by a pivot 50. The freeend of the link 42 of the second pair of links is also connected to theleg-rest structure by pivot 52 at a point spaced from the pivotalconnection 50 of the link 38 to said leg rest 26.

The free end of the link 40 is pivotally mounted at 54 on the seat 16 ata point near the forward end thereof.

The free end of the link 44 of the second pair of links is connected bypivot S6 to one end of an auxiliary link 58 the other end of which ispivotally mounted at 60 on the seat 16 at a point spaced forwardly ofthe pivotal mount 54. rIhe auxiliary link 58 forms a part of theleg-rest control linkage during the initial rearward tilting movement ofthe body supporting structure 14, and serves as lost motion means fordelaying the extension of the leg-rest linkage, in a manner which Willbe presently described.

Movement of the iirst link pair 38, 40 is effected by a iirst actuatinglink 62 which is pivotally mounted at 64 on an elongated bracket 66which is fixed to the support frame '-10 and forms a rigid portionthereof. The first actuating link 62. is connected by pivot 68 to theupper end portion of the link 40 of the rst pair of links and serve as apusher link to cause the rst pair of links 38, 4t) to move to theirextended position when the body supporting unit 14 is tilted and movedrearwardly.

A second actuating link 70 is associated with the second pair of links42 and 44. This second actuating link 70 is pivotally mounted at 72 onthe fixed elongated bracket 66, and has a bent free end portion 70awhich is pivotally connected by pivot 56 to the link 44 and auxiliarylink 58 coaxially with the point of connection between said two latterlinks. The second actuating link 7i) serves as a pusher link to causethe auxiliary link S3 to pivot upwardly during the initial movement ofthe body supporting structure 14 from its upright sitting position ofFIG. 2 to its rearwardly tilted position of IFIG. 4.

The link 38 of the rst pair of links crosses over the link 44 of thesecond pair of links and is pivotally connected thereto at itscrossing-over point by pivot 76.

In the sitting position of the body supporting unit 14 shown in FIG. 2,the leg-rest linkage 28 is folded up into compact form and the leg-rest26 is held in an inverted position substantially parallel to and closelyspaced from the bottom surface of the seat 16. The side rails 22 aremade sufficiently wide, or the open side frames 28 are provided withsuiiicient filler material 20a, to cover the leg-rest 26 and theleg-rest linkage 28 so that these parts are not visible from theexterior of the chair. In this sitting position, the second actuatinglink 7@ is resting upon a stop member 78 which is tixed to the siderails 22 of the chair support frame 1i), so that the forward portion ofthe seat 16 is restrained against downward pivoting movement and theleg-rest 26 is maintained in its underslung retracted position. Theauxiliary link 58 is resting upon a stop 80 which is also aixed to theseat 16, this stop 8G serving to lock the leg rest linkage in its foldedposition and prevent its downward collapse. The links of the leg restlinkage 28 can therefore not move until the body supporting unit 14 ismoved rearwardly from its sitting position of FIG. 2.

When the occupant of the chair in the sitting position of FIG. 2 exertsa slight pressure against :the back rest 12, the body supporting unit 14will move rearwardly guided by the guide link 3i) in a downward arcabout the fixed pivot 34 and the front portion of the seat 16 will moveupwardly and rearwardly, carrying with it the seat pivots 54 and 60.

FIG. 3 shows the condition of the chair in the initial stages of therearward tilting movement of the body supporting unit 14. As the seatmoves rearwardly, the seat pivot 54 is brought closer to the iixed pivot64, thereby causing the first actuating link 62 to push against therearwardly-moving link 4) of the first pair of links and causing saidlink 4t) to begin to pivot about said seat pivot 54. This pivotingmovement of the Vlink 40 increases the angle between the first pair oflinks 38 and 40, causing the link 38 to carry the leg rest 26 downwardlyand forwardly from its original retracted position of FIG. l. The secondpair of links 42 and 44 determine the attitude of the leg rest 26, andthe action of these links causes the leg rest to turn about the pivot 50through an angle of substantially 180 from the substantially horizontal,inverted position of FIG. l to the reversed, upright extended positionof FIG. 4. In traversing this path of movement, the leg rest 26 passesthrough a point in which it is vertically disposed and in which its edgeis closest to the fioor surface. Since the links of the leg-rest linkage23 are so arranged as to provide an accelerated movement of the leg rest26 so that the leg rest travels an appreciably greater distance than thebody supporting unit 14, ordinarily this vertical position of theleg-rest would be reached at a time before the front portion of the seat16 has risen sufficiently to allow the leg-rest to clear the floorsurface. In accordance with the persent invention however, the auxiliarylink 58 acts to delay the action of the second pair of links 42 and 44until the seat front portion has risen a sufficient distance to provideclearance for the leg-rest. In this connection it will be noted thatwhen the body supporting unit 14 is initially moved rearwardly, the seatpivot 60 is moved toward the fixed pivot 72 causing the second actuatinglink 7i) to urge the auxiliary link 68 in a forward and upwarddirection. The auxiliary link 58 therefore pivots upwardly about thepivot 6i) until it engages a blocking member or stop 82 which is affixedto the seat 16, this position being shown in FIG. 3.

The pushing force of the second actuating link 7i) is thereforeprimarily taken up by the auxiliary link 53, and the second pair oflinks 42 and 44 are afforded only a small amount of relative movement sothat the turning movement of the leg-rest 26 about the pivot SEB is heldto a minimum. As shown in FIG. 3, therefore, at the time that theauxiliary link S8 engages the blocking member 82, the leg rest 26 hasbeen moved forwardly past the front portion of the seat, and theleg-rest 26 has not yet been pivoted to its vertical position and isspaced well above the level of the floor surface.

Once the aurc'liary link 58 engages the blocking member 82, saidauxiliary link 58 becomes a fixed portion of the seat 16 and thereafterbecomes inactive. The pivot 56 therefore becomes a seat pivot and thesecond actuating link 70 is connected thereby to the seat and becomes aguiding link for raising the lforward portion of said seat 16. As thebody supporting unit continues to pivot and tilt rearwardly, the firstactuating link 62 continues to exert a pushing force upon lthe link 49of the first pair of links, and the second pair of links through theirpivotal connection 76 with the first pair of links serves its normalfunction in causing the leg-rest 26 to turn about pivot 50 until itassumes the substantially horizontal extended position of FIG. 4. Inthis extended position of FIG. 4, it will be observed that the leg rest26 is spaced well forwardly of the front edge of the seat 16 and issubstantially at the level thereof.

When the occupant of the chair in the rearwardly-tilted position of FIG.4 wishes to return to the sitting position of FIG. l, he need only exerta slight downward pressure with the legs upon the extended leg-rest 26.A reverse action of the leg-rest linkage 2S then occurs to bring theleg-rest 26 back to its underslung retracted position of FIG. 2. Thelink 4@ will move downwardly about its seat pivot 54 and the link 44will move downwardly about the pivot 56 which still serves as a seatpivot during this first phase of movement because the auxiliary link 58is still held immovably relative to the seat by its engagement with theblocking member 82. After the leg-rest 26 has passed through that phaseof its downward movement in which it is vertically disposed, theauxiliary link 58 leaves the blocking member 32 and begins to pivotdownwardly about the seat pivot 60 until it engages the stop 80 toterminate the retracting movement of the leg-rest linkage. In thisposition the leg rest linkage 28 is completely folded and the leg-rest26 is securely held in its underslung retracted position of FIG. 2.

The chair may also include a filler board 84 which is operativelyconnected to the leg-rest linkage 28. As can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and4 the filler board 84 is supported by a pair of links $6 and 83 whichare respectively connected thereto at spaced points by pivots and 92.The free end of the link 88 is connected by pivot 94 to an intermediatepoint on the seat link 44 of the second pair of links, and the link S6is connected at an intermediate point by pivot 96 to a forward portionof the leg-rest link 311 of the first pair of links. At its lower end,the link 86 has an elongated slot 98 through which extends a pivot pin99 affixed to the leg-rest link 42 of the first pair of links.

In the upright sitting position of the chair shown in FIG. 2, the fillerboard 84 is substantially vertically disposed beneath the front end `ofthe seat 16 and extends downwardly so as to conceal the leg-rest 26-when the chair is viewed from the front. In the rearwardly tiltedposition of the body supporting unit 14 shown in FIG. 4, the ller boardlinks 86 and 88 are raised by the leg-rest links 33 and 44, and thefiller board 84 is brought to the extended position shown in FIG. 4 inwhich it bridges the gap between the front edge of the seat 16 and theleg rest 26. The filler board 84 in this position serves as an auxiliarysupport upon which the upper portion of the legs of the occupant mayrest. The two pivotal connections 96 and 99 of the filler board link 36with the respective leg rest links 3S and 42 prevent the filler boardlinkage from collapsing in the retracted position of FIG. 2. On theother hand, the elongated slot s98 provides a sliding connection betweenthe filler board link 86 and the leg rest link 42 which permits thefiller board 84 to be brought to its extended position of FIG. 4. Thefiller board 84- carries -a fixed stop member 97 which engages the link88 in the position of FIG. 4, to hold the filler board immovably in itsextended position.

In the succeeding embodiments now to be described, the filler board andits linkage will be omitted for the sake of clarity, it being understoodhowever, that it is contemplated that a filler board of the typedescribed in connection with FIGS. l through 4 can be incorporated inany one lof the linkages of such succeeding embodiments.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, there isshown a reclining chair which incorporates another embodiment of legrest linkage demonstrating further features of the present invention. Inthese views similar reference numerals are used for like parts, exceptthat these numerals are in the 100 series.

Again the chair includes -a support frame having relatively long legs112 and mounting a body supporting unit 114 which includes a. seat 116and backrest 118 formed rigidly with each other. The body supportingunit 114 is mounted for rearward tilting movement upon the support frame1111 by a link which is connected at its upper end by a pivot 132 to therear end portion of said body supporting unit, and at its lower end bypivot 134 to the support frame 11i). The leg-rest 126 is supported andguided by a leg-rest linkage 128` which is similar in construction tothe leg-rest linkage of FIGS. 2 through 4, except as will be presentlyexplained.

As in the previously-described embodiment, the leg rest linkage 128includes a first pair of links 138 and 140 connected in end-to-endrelationship by pivot 146. The free end of link 138 is connected bypivot 150 to the legrest 126, while the free end of link 1411 isconnected by pivot 154 to the seat 116. A second pair of links 142 and144 are also connected in end-to-end relationship by a pivot 148. Thefree end of the link 142 is connected by pivot 152 to a point on the legrest 126 which is spaced on the pivot 156 while the free end of the link`144 is connected by a pivot 156 to the lower end of an auxiliary link15b; The Vauxiliary link 15S is connected at its opposite end by pivot160 to the seat 116. The links 138' and 144 cross each other and areconnected at their crossing over point by a pivot 176. Movement of thefirst pair of links 138 and 1411 is effected by a first actuating link162 which is mounted at 164 on a bracket 166 formed as a fixed part ofthe support frame 110, the other end of the first actuating link 162being connected by pivot 168 to the upper portion of link 140.

Movement of the auxiliary link 158 is effected by a second actuatinglink 170 which is connected at one end by pivot 172 to the fixed bracket166. This second actuating link 170 is coupled to the auxiliary link 158in a different manner from that ofthe previous embodiment of FIGS. 2 to4, that is to say the actuating link 170 is not connected concentricallywith the point of connection between the auxiliary link 158 and the link144 of the second pair of links. Rather, said link 144 has yan angularterminal extension 144e, to the free end of which the free end of thesecond actuating link 171i is connected by pivot 145.

The operation of this leg rest linkage of FIGS. 5 and 6 is essentiallythe same as that described for the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4. In thesitting position of the chair shown in FIG. 5, the leg-rest linkage 128-is in the collapsed position shown, and the leg-rest 126 is in itsunderslung retracted position in which it lis substantially horizontallydisposed and closely spaced from the bottom surface of the seat 116. Thesecond actuating link 170 is resting upon a stop 178 which is afiixed tothe support frame 110, and the `auxiliary link 158 is resting upon astop 180 which is also formed as a fixed part of the seat 116.

When the occupant of the seat in the upright sitting position of FIG. 5leans rearwardly upon the backrest 118, the link 130 will pivotrearwardly to move the body supporting unit 114 in a rearward direction,and the body supporting unit will also begin to tilt about the pivot134. During the initial phase of this movement, the second actuatinglink 170 will exert a pushing action upon the auxiliary link S thorughthe link extension 144e, and the auxiliary link 15S will pivot upwardlyuntil it abuts the blocking member 182, thereby absorbing some of themovement of the leg-rest linkage 123 and preventing the said linkagefrom extending until the forward end of the seat has risen a suliicientdistance to provide clearance for the movement of the leg rest 126.After the seat has risen a sufficient distance to provide suchclearance, the auxiliary link 158 engages the blocking member 182 andbecomes a rigid portion of the seat, the second actuating link 170 nowpushing directly upon the seat link 144 of the second pair of linksthrou@ its pivotal connection 145, and the link 144 having a leveraction to bring the leg rest 126 to the substantially horizontalextended position shown in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate still another modified type of leg-rest linkagemade in accordance with the invention and incorporated in a chair ofidentical structure to that previously described. The leg-rest linkagediffers from that shown in FIGS. 2 through 4 in that a second auxiliarylink` is provided for the first pair of links.

The leg-rest linkage 228 yagain lcomprises a first pair of links 23S and240 connected in end-to-end relationship by a pivot 246 and a secondpair of links 242 and 244 connected end to end by p-ivot 248. The freeends of the links 238 and 242 are connected at spaced points on theleg-rest 226 by respective pivots 259 and 252. The free end of the link244 is pivotally connected lat 256 to an auxiliary link 258, the otherend of which is pivotally mounted at 260 on a forward portion of theseat 216. The free end of the link 240 of the first pair of links isconnected by pivot 255 to a second auxiliary link 253, the free end ofwhich is pivoted at 254 to a point on the seat which is spacedrearwardly from the pivotal connection 260.

The leg-rest linkage 228 again includes a first actuating llink 262which is pivotally mounted at 264 on a bracket 266 formed as a rigidpart of the support frame 210. The forward end of the first actuatinglink 262' is connected by pivot 268 to an upper portion of the link 240of the first pair of links. A second actuating link 270 iS pivot-allymounted at one end by pivot 272 to said bracket 266, the other end ofsaid link 27% having a vent extension portion 270e which is connected bypivot 256` to the pivotal connection between link 244 and the firstauxiliary link 253. The links 238 and 244 cross each other and areconnected at the crossing-over point by a pivot 276.

The operation of this leg rest linkage 228` is essentially the same asthat described in connection with the ernbodiment of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.In the sitting position of the body supporting unit 214, shown in FIG.7, the second actuating link 27 t) rests upon a stop 278 affixed to thesupport frame 219 while the auxiliary links 258 and 253 rest uponrespective stops 294 and 259 which are fixed to the seat, therebysupporting the front end of the seat 216 and maintaining the leg restlinkage 228 in its compact folded position with the leg rest 226 in itsunderslung retracted position. When the occupant of the chair leansrearwardly upon the backrest 218, the body supporting unit 214 begins toturn about the pivot 232, and the link 230 swings rearwardly about itsfixed pivot 2'34 to move the body supporting unit in a rearwarddirection. The two actuating links 262 and 27 il, however, instead ofhaving a direct effect upon the link pairs 38, 40, 42 and 44, cause bothauxiliary links 253 and 258 to pivot upwardly until they engage therespectively blocking members 257 and 282 which are afiixed to the seat.Thus a double lost motion means is provided for delaying the openingaction of the leg-rest linkage 228 until the seat 216 has been raised asufficient distance to permit the leg rest 226 to be swung outwardly andbrought through its vertical position, while at the same time clearingthe iioor surface. This delay period during the first phase of motion islonger than in the previous embodiments, so that the leg rest in thisinstance may be made larger and still have -an opportunity to clear theiioor surface.

A modified type of leg-rest linkage 323 is shown in FIGS. 9 and lt). Inthis structure, neither of the pairs of leg-rest links are pivotallymounted directly on the seat, but rather each is pivotally mounted on anend of a lever which is in turn mounted on the seat.

In this construction, a double-arm lever 361 is mounted intermediate itsends on the front end of the seat 316 by a pivot 363. The first pair oflinks 338 and 340 are connected end-to-end by pivot 346. The free end oflink 340 is connected by pivot 365 to one arm 361a of the double-armlever 361, while the free end of the other link 33S is connected bypivot 350 to the legrest 326. The second pair of links 342 and 344 areconnected end-to-end by a pivot 348. The free end of link 342 isconnected by pivot 352 to the leg-rest 326, while the free end of link344 is connected by pivot 363 to the arm 361b of the double-arm lever361. The links 338 and 344 cross each other and are connected by pivot376 'at their crossing-over point.

A first actuating link 362 is pivotally mounted at 364 on a bracket 366connected to cross bar 324 and forming a fixed part of the chair supportframe 310. The other end of the first actuating link 362 is connected bypivot 368 to an intermediate point on the link 340 of the first linkpair.

A second actuating link 370` is also pivota-lly mounted on the bracket366, this connection being effected by pivot 372. The other end of thesecond actuating link 370 has Ian inclined offset terminal portion 370awhich is connected by -pivot 363 Ito the point of connection between thelink 344 of the second link pair to the larm 361b of the double-armlever 361.

In the upright sitting position of the chair shown in FIG. 9, the doublearm lever arm 361b rests upon a stop 367 which is rigidly and immovablymounted on the forward end of the seat 316. This stop 367 prevents anyexpanding movement of the leg-rest linkage 328 while the body-supportingunit 314 is in said Iupright sitting position, so that the leg-restlinkage 328 is maintained in its collapsed position with the leg-rest326 retracted and underslung, as shown in FIG. 9. The second actuatinglink 370 also rests upon a stop 378 which is rigidly mounted on thesupport frame 316, this stop 37S serving to support the forward end ofthe seat 316 in the upright sitting position of the body-supporting unit314. The rear end of the seat is supported by the link 331i which isconnected to the body-supporting unit 314 and the support frame 310 byrespective pivots 332 and 334.

When the occupant of the chair exerts rearward pressure against theback-rest 31S, 4the rear portion of the body-supporting unit 314 willtilt rearwardly about the pivot 332 on link 330, and the link 33t) willalso turn rearwardly about the fixed pivot 334 to move thebodysupporting unit 314 in a rea-rward direction relative to the supportframe 310. As the seat 316 moves rearwardly the pivot 36S is broughtcloser to the fixed pivot 364, causing the first actuating link 362 tpush upon the rearwardly-moving link 340 of the first pair of links andcausing the link 346 to being to pivot about said pivot 365. ln the samemanner, the second actuating link 370 exerts a pushing force upon thearm 361b of the doublearm lever 361, causing the latter to pivot in aclockwise direction about the seat pivot 363. The double-arm lever 361therefore serves in this instance as the auxiliary link which takes upthe pushing force of the second actuating link 376` during the firstmovement phase, so that the second pair of links 342 and 344 areafforded very little relative movement. The pivoting movement of thelegrest 326 about the pivot 351) is therefore held to a minimum, and thelinkage 328 is retarded in its expansion until the forward end of theseat 316 has risen sufiiciently to prevent the leg-rest from engagingthe floor surface in its movement to the extended position.

The double-arm lever 361 also serves an additional function in delayingmovement of the first pair of links 338 and 34). As the second actuatinglink 370 pushes upon the arm 3611; and turns the double-arm lever 361,the other arm 36M moves in a direction to maintain the links 34S in itscollapsed position. Thus, during this first phase lof movement, ythepushing action of the first actuating link 362 is also substantiallyabsorbed by the pivoting movement of the double-arm lever 361.

The first movement phase is ended by the engagement of the double-armlever arm 361a with ya blocking member 369 which is rigidly affixed tothe seat 369. Thereafter, the double-arm lever 361 becomes a rigidportion of the seat 316 and the ifull pushing force of the firstactuating link 362 is Idirected to the link 340 of the first link pair.The linkage 328 is thus fully actuated to bring the leg-rest 326 to theextended position shown in FIG. l0.

A further modification of the leg-rest linkage is shown in FiGS. ll Vandl2. This linkage is similar to that illustrated in FGS. 9 and i0 andjust described, except that the second actuating link is eliminated.

In this embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10, the first pair of links 438 and449, connected by pivot 446, are connected at one end to the leg-rest426 at 450, and at the other end by pivot 465 to the arm 461g ofdouble-arm lever 461. The second pair of links 442 and 444, connected bypivot 448, are connected at one end to the leg-rest 426 at 452, and atthe other end by pivot 463 to the arm 461b of double-arm lever 461. Attheir crossingover point the links 438 and 444 are connected by pivot476. The double-arm lever 461 is mounted intermediate its ends on theseat 416 by pivot 463.

The first actuating link 462 is pivotally mounted at 464 on bracket 466which is rigidly monuted on the support frame 410. The free end of thefirst actuating link 462 is connected by pivot 468 to the link 440. Ascan be seen in FiGS. ll and l2, there is no second actuating link inthis instance.

In the upright sitting position of the body-supporting unit 414, shownin FIG. ll, lthe first actuating link 462 l@ rests upon a stop member471, formed as a rigid part of the fixed bracket 466, to support thefront end of the seat 416. The lever arm 46115 also rests upon stop 467,formed as a rigid part of the seat 416, thereby preventing any openingmovement of the leg-rest linkage 428 while the chair is in its uprightsitting position.

When the occupant of the chair, in `the sitting position of FIG. ll,exerts rearward pressure on the back-rest 418, the body-supporting unit414 tilts rearwardly and is moved in a rearward direction by the rearlink 430; The first actuating link 462 exerts a pushing force againstlink 446, but this is transmitted to the lever arm 461er, causingdouble-arm lever 461 to turn in a clockwise direction about its seatpivot 463. In this first phase of movement, such pivoting movement ofthe double-arm lever 461 retards the opening movement of the first pairof links 43S and 44d. In addition, the upward movement of lever arm 461balso retards the opening movement of the second pair of 'links 442 and444.

The first movement phase terminates when the lever arm 461a engages thestop 469 which is fixed to the seat. The bell-crank lever 461 thusbecomes immovable relative to the seat and thereafter the pivots 463 and465 become fixed seat pivots. The rst actuating link 462 is theneffective to actuate the first link pair 438, 440 :and `also to actuatethe second link pair 442, 444 through said first link pair. Thus, theleg-rest linkage 428 is brought to its extended position of FIG. l2Without `the necessity for providing a second actuating link.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed herein by way of illustrative examples, it will be obviousthat numerous ladditions, changes and omissions may be made in suchembodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What I claim is:

l. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a bodysupportingstructure including a seat and a back-rest mounted on said `supportframe for rearward movement to a tilted position, and la leg-rest,leg-rest control means for supporting said leg-rest `and moving thelatter from a retracted position beneath the seat to an extendedposition forwardly of the seat, said leg-rest control means including aconstrained linkage mounted on the seat for movement therewith andcarrying said leg-rest, actuating means connecting said constrainedlinkage to the support frame for actuating rsaid constrained linkage toextend said leg-rest in response to rearward movement of saidbody-supporting means, and an auxiliary Ilink connecting at least onelink of said constrained linkage to said seat, said auxiliary link beingpivotally mounted on said seat and associated with said actuating meansfor lost motion pivotal movement when said body supporting structure isinitially moved rearwardly, whereby to delay actuation of saidconstrained linkage, said constrained linkage including a first pair oflinks connected end-to-end `and a second pair of links connectedend-to-end, one link of each link pair being pivotally connected to theleg-rest, the other link of the first pair of links 4being pivotallymounted on the seat, the other link of said `second pair of links beingpivotally connected to the auxiliary link, said auxiliary link beingpivotally mounted on the seat.

2. Leg-rest control means according to claim l in which said actuatingmeans includes an actuating link pivotally mounted on the support frameand pivotally connected to said other link of the first pair of links.

3. Leg-rest control means according to claim 2 in which said actuatingmeans also includes a second actuating link pivotally mounted on thesupport frame and pivotally connected to said other link of the secondpair of links.

4. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a bodysupporting unitincluding a rigidly-formed seat and a back-rest mounted on said supportframe for rearward movement from `an upright sitting position to atilted position, land a leg-rest, a leg-rest control linkage forsupporting the leg-rest and moving the latter from a retracted,underslung position beneath the seat to an extended position forwardlyof the seat, said leg-rest control linkage, including a rst and secondpair of links, each connected in end-to-end relationship, a first linkof each pair being pivotally connected to the leg-rest, the second linkof each pair 4being operatively coupled to the seat for movementtherewith, an actuating link pivotally mounted on the support frame andconnected to the link of one of said link pairs for 'actuating said linkpairs to move the leg-rest toward its extended position in response torearward tilting movement of the body-supporting unit, and lost motionmeans operatively connecting the: second link of the second pair oflinks to said seat, said lost motion means being movable during aninitial phase of rearward tilting movement of the body-supporting unitand ret-arding the eiect of said actuating link upon said link pairswhereby to delay the movement of said leg-rest to its extended position,the lost motion means comprising an auxiliary link pivotally mounted onthe seat and extending downwardly and forwardly to a pivotal connectionwith the second link of the second pair `of links.

5. A leg-rest control linkage according to claim 4 in which the lostmotion means valso comprises second auxiliary link pivotally mounted -ata spaced point on the seat and pivotally connected to the second link ofthe rst pair of links.

6. A leg-rest control linkage according to claim 4 in which theauxiliary link comprises a bell-crank lever pivotally mountedintermediate its ends on the seat and having a first arm pivotallyconnected to the second link of the second pair of links and a secondarm pivotally connected to the second link of the iirst pair of links.

7. A leg-rest control linkage `according to claim 4 in which thestructure includes a second actuating link pivotally mounted on thesupport frame and connected to the second link of the iirst pair oflinks.

8. In a recliningy chair having a support frame, a body-supportingstructure including a seat and back-rest mounted on said support framefor rearward movement from an upright sitting position to a recliningposition, and a leg-rest; leg-rest control means for supporting saidleg-rest and moving `the latter from a retracted substantiallyhorizontal, inverted position beneath the seat through a verticalposition to an upright, substantially horizontal position forwardly ofthe seat, said leg-rest control means including a lazy-tong linkagecarrying said leg-rest and expandable to guide the leg-rest to itsextended position, means mounting said lazy-tong linkage on said seat,and an actuating link mounted on the support frame and connected to saidlazy-tong linkage for expanding the latter to bring the leg-rest to itsextended position when .the body-supporting structure is moved on thesupport frame to its reclining position, said mounting means includinglost motion means connecting at least one link of the lazy-tong linkageto the seat and providing a pivotal mount therefor, said lost motionmeans being movable in a lost motion movement during the initialrearward movement of the body-supporting structure from its uprightsitting position to its reclining [position and said pivotal mountmoving relative to the seat lin a direction away from said actuatinglink to absorb the actuating force of said actuating link withoutsubstantial expansion of said lazy-tong linkage, where- 'by to delayturning movement of the leg-rest through its vertical position as theleg-rest is extended forwardly until the forward end of the seat thasrisen a suihcient distance to provide clearance for the leg-rest to passtherebeneath, and stop means on said seat positioned to engage and blockfurther movement of said lost motion means at the end of said initialmovement of the bodysupporting structure and thereby provide astationary pivotal mount for said one link on said seat, whereby furtherrearward movement of said body-supporting structure expands saidlazy-tong linkage through said actuating link Ito bring said leg-rest toits extended position.

9. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a body-supportingstructure including a seat and back-rest mounted on said support framefor rearward movement `from an upright sitting position to a recliningposition, fand a leg-rest; leg-rest control means for supporting saidleg-rest and moving the latter from a retracted substantiallyhorizontal, inverted position beneath the seat through a verticalposition to an upright, substantially horizontal position forwardly ofthe seat, said leg-rest control means including a lazy-tong linkagecarrying said leg-rest and expandable to guide the leg-rest to itsextended position, means mounting said lazy-tong linkage on said seat,`and an actuating link mounted on the support frame and connected tosaid lazy-tong linkage for expanding the latter to bring the leg-rest toits extended position when the body-supporting structure is moved on thesupport frame to its reclining position, said mounting means includingan auxiliary link connecting at least one link of the lazy-tong linkageto the seat and providing a pivotal mount therefor, said auxiliary linklbeing movable in a lost motion movement during the initial rearwardmovement of the body-supporting structure Ifrom its upright sittingposition to its reclining position and said pivotal mount movingrelative to the seat in la direction away from said actuating link toabsorb the actuating force of said actuating link without substantialexpansion of said lazy-tong linkage, whereby to delay turning movementof the leg-rest .th-rough its vertical position as the leg-rest isextended forwardly until the forward end of seat has risen a suiiicientdistance to provide clearance lfor the leg-rest to pass therebeneath,and stop means on said seat positioned to engage and block fur-thermovement of said auxiliary link at the end of said initial movement ofthe body-supporting structure and thereby provide a stationary pivotalmount for said one link on said seat, whereby lfurther rearward movementof said body-supporting structure expands said lazy-tong linkageythrough said actuating link to bring said leg-rest to its extendedposition.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,664,942 Spear Jan. 5, 1954 2,788,058 Luckhardt Apr. 9, 1957 2,808,827OHara Oct. 8, 1957 2,888,978 Schliephacke June 2, 1958 2,892,485Schliephacke June 30, 1959 2,918,113 Lorenz Dec. 22, 1959

